1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a document administration system in which a plurality of document storing apparatuses each having a box function capable of storing information such as documents (including image data) in a sorted manner and a server apparatus which is a document administering apparatus are connected with each other via a network. The present invention also relates to a document administering apparatus used in the system, and a document administering program.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
A recent image forming apparatus which is one of document storing apparatuses has a function of once storing electronic data in a storing device such as a hard disk and then printing out the data at the timing required by a user as well as a function of immediately printing out received print data or facsimile data.
Furthermore, in another image forming apparatus, the electronic data is stored in a divided storing area called “box” every user or group.
As for the technique regarding such box, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H11-196206 discloses a facsimile apparatus in which received facsimile information is sorted and stored in a divided destination dedicated box every destination recognized from the information.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Laid-open Patent Publication No. H11-239238 discloses a facsimile apparatus. According to this facsimile apparatus, when a confidential document is received, the confidential document is stored in a personal box of the confidential destination user and the stored destination of this confidential document is registered in its Web server. Thereafter, the fact that it received the confidential document is notified to the confidential destination user by e-mail. When the confidential destination user who received the notification accesses the facsimile apparatus from the personal computer and inputs his/her ID and password, the linked destination to the confidential document is notified so that the user can browse the confidential document.
Furthermore, as an image forming apparatus equipped with such a box technique, there exists an image forming apparatus equipped with the so-called “private box” which is protected so as to allow an access of a specified user or group using a password. Moreover, there also exists an image forming apparatus equipped with two types of boxes, i.e., a private box and the so-called “public box” with no access limitation in view of the usability.
In the meantime, in some middle or large size offices, a plurality of image forming apparatuses are installed in one floor. In such an office, when such image forming apparatus having the aforementioned box function becomes popular, a user may hesitate over which box of which image forming apparatus to use for storing a document, resulting in an inconvenient system.
Furthermore, in the case of outputting a document stored in a box of an image forming apparatus, it is required to operate each image forming apparatus which stores the document, which is inconvenient.
Furthermore, in the case of discarding an image forming apparatus, it is required to move documents stored in the boxes of the image forming apparatus, which is also inconvenient.
However, in conventionally available technique utilizing boxes including the technique disclosed in the aforementioned patent documents, no proposal for solving the aforementioned problems or enhancing the usability has been made.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.